


Nothing Mundane About Me

by WhimperSoldier



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec And Clary Are Best Bros, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, F/M, M/M, Who Share Memories, don't ask how, mundane!Alec, the plot of the show just with mundane alec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:18:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6508207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimperSoldier/pseuds/WhimperSoldier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jocelyn smuggles young Alec out of the Circle along with herself and her daughter at the request of his mother, raising them both as siblings. Growing up so close led to some unforeseen consequences such as shared memories of a man with magic and the ability to see crazy things on the night of Clary's 18th birthday. Alec is too tired to be the heroine of a YA novel.</p><p>Or</p><p>Mundane!Alec just wants to go home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is complete self-indulgence. Enjoy.

Alec woke up slowly to his sister pounding on his door. Clary screamed a few things before barging in, her pajama pants slung low and her hair still wet from a shower, throwing herself onto his bed while continuing to brush her hair.

“I need to borrow your fancy concealer, I got a zit the size of Texas on my chin and on my birthday, to make matters worse, not to mention I probably only got it because I’m so nervous about my application today,” She smiled, her hair dripping onto his blue comforter. Alec moved slowly, crawling free to grab a bottle from his vanity and placing it into her palm before falling back, face-first, opening his mouth to talk when she cut him off. “Don’t you dare tell me that ‘You’ll do fine’ speech, I heard it all from Luke last night. The only thing that can make me feel better right now if you promise to come out tonight!”

“To watch you and your friends be carded at the party central this side of town, no thanks.” He whimpered, rubbing at the side of his face to scrub the dried drool trail away.

“Simon gets band privileges and as such, you are required to come,” She dabbed at her chin and smiled at her reflection before popping back up, too peppy for normal humans that early. “Don’t glare at me like that, just throw on those cute leather pants mom doesn't know Dot bought you and wiggle your cute little ass at the bouncer and we can get in no problem.”

“That is your job,” Alec muttered, standing before ruffling through his closet and settling on the first thing that smelled slightly clean. “Besides, Pandemonium doesn't cater to my taste much.”

“Oh please, what about What’s-His-Name with the man bun and the wonky teeth?” She questioned, lazily pawing through his pile of clothes before deciding to wear some of his bangles with the blue pants under her arm. “You met him there, right?”

“He was creepy and I met him by that coffee truck a few blocks away, and for the record, he was horrible and I would pay a large sum of money to never have to repeat that experience,” Alec finished dressing right as their mom’s voice echoed down the hall. Clary rushed out, tossing her pajama bottoms onto his pile of dirty clothes and abandoning the conversation. He snorted before moving after her.

Clary was out the door quicker than Alec could kiss her cheek, her doodle covered portfolio clutched tightly in one hand. The telltale sign of Simon, the incessant buzzing of her phone, probably him wishing her luck.

Alec lounged around the house for a few minutes, opening the refrigerator repeatedly while refreshing Simon’s twitter account. He moved onto watching Project Runway reruns until her mom rushed out into the living room, phone clutched in her hands and a large smile on her face.

“What, did the Bachelor get renewed?” He joked and his mom snorted.

“Where did you get your sass, young man?” She questioned, ruffling his hair before flashing him a view of the screen and the little words along Simon’s twitter account. Obviously, Clary had been accepted and as such he would now be dragged along tonight not only as a birthday present to his sister but also a congratulatory prize. “Don’t get too happy, you might break something.”

“You know she will drag me out tonight,” He muttered, shifting deeper into the couch and dragging an afghan for the top. She sat her laundry off the side and sat down, tucking her legs under her and placing a comforting hand on his knee.

“Actually, I was hoping I could just sit you two down and have a talk with you two,” She started, shifting uncomfortably. His mother was many things and uncomfortable in her skin was not one of them. Alec leaned forward and took her hand from where it was twisting in the blanket. “I have so much to tell you-.”

“It’s not like we are just up and leaving you. I’m going off to college not moving to a different planet,” Alec muttered, their talk disrupted by Clary stomping in, gift from Dot in hand and a wide smile. His mom jumped up and wrapped her in a hug then yanked Alec up to do the same.

“Good job, Clary,” He whispered into her hair and the little tug of her fingers in his shirt gave the impression she was still a little overwhelmed. Their mom was laughing and when they broke apart to squeeze onto the couch, she pulled two small boxes from the laundry basket, handing them to him and Clary.

“These were passed down through our lineage, it’s called a Stele.” She said, watching as Alec and Clary opened the box. Inside tucked into velvet was a small piece of twisted metal smelted with a gem and some marks resembling the drawings littering his sister’s sketchbook.

“So what, it’s like a paperweight?” Clary asked, holding it delicately in her hands. Their mother smiled and shook her head, going on to talk about how much more it was but Alec was more concerned in the drop in his gut he felt, the tickling feeling of a memory just out of reach. He could almost recall holding one of these, a faded image flickering behind his eyes.

“Alec are you listening? This is ancient,” His mom started, but Clary’s phone chimed and all it took was her little perked shoulders to break the spell and send him shutting the lid and trying to forget the nagging sensation tugging at the back of his skull.

His sister jumped up and cleared the couch, ignoring their mother’s attempts at getting her to stay home and her dedication at having the “talk.” Clary dodged them all masterfully, poking him in the arm until he stood and then promptly dragged him up the stairs and into her room throwing love you’s over her shoulder.

Alec crashed on her mattress, kicking his socked feet up onto the spindles of her bedframe. Clary made a beeline to the gift from Dot, a skin tight black shirt that Alec had a sneaking suspicion might be a dress. They talked about mundane things and she mused over her budding artistic career in the modest manner she pretended she didn’t have. Alec hummed in the right places and it was only when Alec moved to go throw on something not gray and faded did she grab his arm and throw her own around his neck.

“What am I going to do next year?” She asked, her words muffled in the thick fabric. He just shrugged and rubbed small circles into her back until she straitened, dabbed under her eyes and pushed her way into his room to pick out his outfit, throwing one-liners over her shoulder. “For someone who spent so much time in the closet, your fashion sense is atrocious.”

“Teach me oh wise one,” Alec hummed, sitting at his vanity and dabbing a bit of concealer onto his arm before mixing it cleanly under his eyes and the dark crescents that had taken up residence. At Clary’s raised eyebrow he looked towards her. “I've been having the nightmares again.”

Now it was her turn to hum. She played with the frayed edge of whitewashed jeans before throwing them aside and moving to squeeze onto the bench at his side. She placed her perfectly curled head on his shoulder. The dreams were shared between them; when Clary got them, so did Alec, and vise versa. It had been as much a part of their life as any other. A teacher had recommended separating them but their mom understood it would do more harm than good.

Even with the solidarity, Alec could feel his eyes slipping shut and his head dropping to cover hers. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Luke banged in and Clary pushed him up to change into her choice for that night before she shoved him back into his chair so she could wing his eyeliner just how she liked it.

“Hey Luke!” Clary called, bouncing over to the island and leaning over to peek into the nondescript bag Luke brough and smiling when he pulled out spraypaint and a warning. Alec sat down next to his mother and she threw an arm around his chest and pressed him lightly to her side as Clary chewed Luke out for something or another.

“We are off to Lombardi’s!” Simon bust in a moment later, all smiles and annoying happiness. He swaggered in, leaning next to Clary and adjusting his glasses a few times. “After the gig it is off to celebration!”

“You should come back here after!” Mom called, looking to Luke for back-up and when she got nothing moved on. “The city’s not that safe right now.”

“Thank’s mom, but we’re set,” Clary muttered, grabbing her paints and tugging at Alec’s shirt only to be stopped by Simon’s stupid nose smelling their mother’s famous Chicken cacciatore and get wrapped into a conversation about his band and their failing as said band. Luke laughed and mom took that as the time to wrap them both in her arms and squeeze until they could feel the blood flow cut off.

“Alec, you, me, tomorrow breakfast, promise?” She muttered, running gentle fingers through hair and in Alec’s case, his neck.

“We are biologically and legally adults now, mom,” He muttered, pressing a small kiss to her palm and drawing a slight smile from her mouth before she muttered a small “that’s what I’m afraid of.”

Clary turned around and jumped on Alec’s back and gave a look to Simon who laughed and smiled. “Don’t look at me, man, she saw you first.”

The gig was underwhelming with the venue almost too shabby for Simon and his band friends. The couches sagged and a blonde boy with a toothy smile sat to his left and got a little too handsy for a cafe gig. it was only when the four of them were sitting on the roof of Simon’s crappy van talking about Alien and their mother being an Alien Queen, did things get more interesting.

Alec moved to people watching, crossing his legs on the roof of the van and picking out the ones too young for the club and those just a little too old. A few groups looked high and stumbling before even reaching the door and another appeared to be holding a girl’s hair back as she puked.

Clary was working her tagging magic on the side of the van and when she was finished. Alec leaned over to catch a look and the marking in the middle, even upside down, made his stomach drop and his heart to race, he looked up and caught Clary’s eye. Maureen talked about it being sanskrit and Alec did his best to calm his nerves. As he was climbing down, some dick in dark leather smashed into Clary. He was about to march over when Clary handled it herself.

“Hey, why don’t you watch where you’re going?” She asked, glaring at him. Alec moved a bit closer and crossing his arms to make him look bigger, less lanky and more bulky. The blond threw disbelieving looks at both of them.

“You can see me?” He questioned.

“That’s kinda the point, but I guess you didn’t see her,” Alec muttered, adjusting his stance and glaring harder.

“You both have the Sight,” He said in wonderment, moving back to watch Clary cross her arms over her chest. “How can I not know who you are?”

“Has that line seriously ever worked for you?” She smirked and Alec grunted when he realized that was her flirty voice. He rolled his eyes so hard he caught a glance of Simon’s disbelieving face. “Even once?”

“Jace!” His name was called from a distance and the boy jogged off into the club and Clary wandered over. “Can you believe that guy?”

“You mean the imaginary one you two were talking to?” Simon asked, pointing to the place the guy vacated. Clary made a face and unzipped her jacket. Alec could see where this was going and quickly pulled his jacket off and pulled the henley down a bit but by the time he threw it in the van, the trio had already entered the club. He moved to the entrance. Their fake id’s sucked so he had to hope the bouncer swung both ways.

The inside of Pandemonium was flashing with blue strobes and music. Alec didn’t frequent clubs all that often often because the too sticky counters and the techno music but this place was a bit nicer than the others he’d gotten into with the downside being it was also three times the size, meaning he lost Clary in the crowd the moment he entered.

He moved along the edges, having already learned his lesson about walking through the middle of the dancefloor and how it’s a big no-no if you didn’t want a constant stream of hands on your ass. He spotted Simon failing at the bar with Maureen glued to his side.

“Where is Clary?” He asked, his voice drowned out by the pounding bass. Her best friend just shrugged, pointing over to a side of the club and mouthing words like a mime. Alec rolled his eyes and moved in that direction, sliding through the grinding groups of people and stretching himself along the edges of loners making grabby hands at the outliers.

He spotted a flash of orange and he dove forward, watching as his sister passed two men, dressed to the nines with sunglasses on in a club at night. Being a gay boy in a rough side of town means Alec has a keen sense of when to turn tail and run and those men sent off all kinds of alarms.

Just as Alec was about to do the opposite of what his instincts were telling him, run over and confront the stronger and much more athletic looking guys, a different man did it for him. Alec took a step back and mixed in with the crowd, watching the emotions flash across their faces and the tilt of the man blocking his view.

The taller one pushed forward and Alec made to run but was cut off when the man was thrown back, the Suit grabbed at his throat as he was slowly lifted off the ground. Alec could feel the air get caught in his lungs and he frantically looked around but no one seemed to notice the man slowly suffocating in a crowded club.

Just as Alec was about to say Fuck It, they left, one rubbing at his neck and being carried out by his friend. He drifted away, following the man, Asian, tall, nice hair, too handsome and put together. Alec was getting off topic.

He only got a few feet when Clary screamed. He would know that sound anywhere and when he raced forward, barreling into a curtained backroom, it was in time to watch a man be impaled on a sword Clary was holding. She cried out and Alec moved to help her only to have a heavy weight crash into his side.

He went down and the man, the projectile, stood up and shook it off, his mouth splitting open and thick tendrils of drool slid down its chin. A glowing sword pierced its chest and it exploded into ashes, a black haired girl smirking behind it. He moved back quickly, running over to where Clary was standing, holding the sword out in front of her.

He grabbed it from her hand, the warm weight humming in his palm and he whistled, catching the blonde's attention from where he had his arm wrapped around the neck of a struggling monster. Alec tossed the blade and the guy laughed when he caught it, sinking it into the side of the demon and watching it shatter into sparks.

Alec wasted no more time. He pulled at his sister’s hand and they shot out of the back room and into the thick of the crowd, their fingers intertwined. She smacked into a man and it only took him a second to place the extravagant clothing and overthetop hairstyle to the guy he had witnessed almost kill a man only minutes ago.

“Sorry,” Clary muttered and like a pounding beat, he got a flash form one of his dreams, a spark of blue and the golden cat eyes of a maybe murderer. Alec had had enough and pulled at her hands, refusing to look back again at the strange man and monster killers and the magic swords.

He wanted to go home where everything made sense and when the world got to be too overwhelming he could cuddle up to his mom and listen to her read or follow the scratch of Clary’s pencil on her fancy illustration paper.

“I want to go home, Alec,” She whispered, shaking in her thin shirt and her mascara, perfectly applied, was slightly running down her cheeks. He knew he looked the same and as they exited the club and flagged down the nearest taxi, he could still feel his blood humming in his veins, the adrenaline making his eyes keener and making him more aware of every movement the driver made.

“Drive!” He glanced over at his sister and saw the same expression on her face. She closed her eyes and relaxed. He looked back once, fear or maybe instinct, and his warm feeling chilled when he caught the eyes of the suits standing ramrod straight in the road to their backs as the cab rocket onto the road and away from Pandemonium.


	2. Alexander's Big Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I was holding off, I wanted you to have a good childhood, a normal childhood,” Jocelyn stopped and sighed, glancing at Clary. “But now you are eighteen and you both should know the truth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful comments and kudos!

Clary was pacing. Her hair was flying around her and she was gesturing wildly, blabbing about swords and dead people, all of which was true, but none of which made Alec want to chime in.

Their mother watched her spiel before giving him a look. He just shrugged and ran a hand through his hair and down his face. It was always easier to repress things and right now, Alec could feel the bubbling need to snuggle into his bed and digest whatever wacko shit was going on in that club. Clary had other options.

“I think I killed a guy!” She cried, spinning around to glare at him and stare at mom. “Ask Alec, he was there and saw the whole thing!”

He groaned and mom grabbed his hand and folded it in hers, flashing him a small smile before grabbing for her back pocket and coming away with a paperweight thing like the ones she gave them that day.

She brushed it along her forearm and when black ink swirled along her skin, solidifying into a tattoo, Alec scrambled back, throwing himself up and scuffling away to stand by Clary. Mom seemed hurt but stood and walked to them slowly.

“Everything you saw tonight has a meaning and an explanation and I’ve dreaded having this conversation with you since the day we left,” She sighed, glancing between them. Clary started stuttering, her breath coming faster and her hand swinging wildly until it caught his and locked them together. He squeezed lightly and she stilled.

“Are we going insane?” She asked, her eyes wide and her chest rising and falling too fast for his liking.

“No! You are both fine,” She reached out running the pads of her fingers along their faces. Her lips thinned and her eyes shined, like she might start crying. Alec had seen his mother cry rarely and the sight made his heart kickstart. “The protections are wearing off.”

“I was holding off, I wanted you to have a good childhood, a normal childhood,” She stopped and sighed, glancing at Clary. “But now you are eighteen and you both should know the truth.”

“Protections? What does that mean, mom?” Clary cried. She started talking faster, slurring her words in fear and clinging even more desperately at Alec’s hand. “You are scaring the hell out of me, please stop, mom!”

“Jocelyn!” Dot cried, she was panting heavily and her voice was shaking. Her next words were quiet. “Magnus tried to call and warn us.” Dot was almost crying. “They've found you.”

Mom raced to the window and Alec followed, peeking between the blinds to watch a red car park and two men step out. Alec’s breath caught in his throat and his mother placed a gentle hand on his back.

“I know those men,” He whispered when his mother froze beside him. “The were at the club tonight, shit! I knew I saw them outside! How could I have brought them back here!”

“You couldn’t have know,” Mom muttered, drawing him in close to rest his head on her shoulder letting him just breath in the smell of her perfume and their laundry detergent before angling her head and shouting. “Dot! It’s time!”

She roughly pushed Alec away, sending him wobbling and off balance. She grabbed his hand and marched him over to Clary, pushing them both down onto the couch and staring them down, hard.

“Listen to me, you can’t be near me, ok?” She ran to the bookshelf and tore through it, kicking books away until she found what she wanted. Clary was demanding answers and their mother largely ignored them in favor of feeling whatever was in her hands. “I made a very powerful person angry.”

She ran over and took Alec’s hand, dropping a stone amulet into his palm. She closed his fingers around the rough rock.

“Keep this close and think of me when you wear it,” She said to both of them then turned her eyes to Alec with a serious look on her face. “Protect your sister, Alec, but also protect yourself, ok?”

“Now is not the time for more birthday gifts!” Clary cried, tears dripping down her chin to further smear her makeup. Dot raced by, handing their mom a small vial of green liquid like something they might have sold in the shop before running away, leaving even more questions than answers.

“Trust your instincts. You both are so much more powerful than you know,” Then her expression turned soft as she pressed a single kiss to each of their foreheads. Clary was trying to not cry so head she started hiccuping but tightened her hand into a fist and narrowed her eyes, like she was gearing up to fight, but mom cut her off, calling for Dot.

Alec could feel his stomach tighten and his head start to hurt. He just wanted to sit down and maybe not get up for a few days, but it seemed life had other plans. Dot reached out her hand and just like the man at the club, sparks flared from her fingertips, sliding open a screen and making inky darkness swirl between the barndoors. Mom pushed them forward, their backs to the portal, at least he assumed that was what it was, and he waited for them all to go, for mom to say she would go last and that they had to go first, but instead he got her grabbing their hands, one in each palm.

“You have to know, everything I’ve done, every mistake that I’ve made, is because I love you both more than words,” She whispered, moving forward. Clary got skittish shifting from one foot the net and back again.

“Mom,” he started, because this didn’t sound like an escape plan, that sounded like a suicide note or an apology she didn’t think she would have another chance to give. Alec moved forward, to talk her out of it, to stand and help fight the masked goons mom refused to call the cops on, but he was interrupted.

“My beautiful boy, so brave and strong, with so much I didn't tell you,” She whispered, running a careful hand across his wrist. “You always were so protective. I need you to stay strong. I know you want to help but this is one fight I haven't prepared you for.” She straightened, like she realized where she was, and her face hardened. “Find Luke, he can hid you until it’s safe. Tell him the Circle found us. Trust no one else, only Luke. Where is Luke now, Clary?”

“No, _mom,_ , no no no…” Clary trailed off, her tears coming faster and her fingers digging uncomfortably into the soft skin of his palm. Mom repeated the question and when she got the same response, she shouted, forceful but not angry. Once more after that until Clary stuttered out. “A-At the police station!”

“Remember I love you!” She yelled but their mother’s voice was almost lost over the howling of the portal and then she shoved them, just a light tap, but it was enough to send them careening into the darkness.


	3. Alexander and the Party Crashers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t start with me Alexander,” She huffed, tying her hair back and sighing a few times. “Fine but I want to go home.”
> 
> “Home? You mean the place mom said not to come back to?” Alec asked, groaning when she took off again, confident stride to her, with a determined set to her lips that could only have come from their mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is crazy what are you all doing here?
> 
> Anyways, thanks again and any mistakes made are mine.

They both smacked into the ground. Clary was running her hands along her arms and then his, as if making sure they were all in one piece. The echoing of heels on marble sent them jumping to their feet. Clary looked away and ran fingers under her eyes to clear away the mascara trails left by her tears.

“Captain Vargas,” Alec said politely, flashing his most charming smile and a little arm wave. The captain just smirked. “Funny running into you in a police station.”

“Alec, Clary,” She started, shifting her stance and giving them a raised eyebrow. “It’s two in the morning, what are you guys doing here?”  
Clary started stuttering, clapping her hands like she does when she got nervous so Alec chimed in from behind her, placing his hand on her shoulders in the most big brother looking way.

“Luke said he would drive us home if he was still here, so…” Alec drifted off, smiling again and making head motions to the bull pit.

“Still doesn't trust those cabbies huh?” She smirked, tilting her head. “Well, he’s in the middle of an interview. Could take a while.”

“Well then,” Again with the hand claps, Clary shifted back. “Guess we can wait in the cafeteria-”

“Is there some type of trouble?” She asked, a worried glint to her eyes and a slightly tightened mouth, then a wider smile showing her teeth. “Guy trouble?”

Alec snorted. “Something like that.”

They moved along the walls, sneaking past the skeleton crew of night janitors and rouge police officer or two. They crawled to the overhand in the bull pen and Alec remembered one summer, whisked away to Luke’s cabin, with the sun warm on his skin and Clary’s laughter ringing in his ears. As if she shared the thought, she reached over and grabbed his hand.

“Jocelyn Fairchild is captured and the son and daughter will come next. You can have them all if you give up the Mortal Cup,” The woman said, perched lightly on Luke’s desk. She smiled cruelly and even from their limited view, Alec could see the prominent set shoulders and relaxed posture; the stature of a person used to getting their way.

“I don’t care about any of them. They mean nothing to me,” Luke stated, harsh and cold. Clary huffed next to him before clamping her fingers of her mouth to stop the sound of crying. He could do little more than hold her hand as more tears, too many for one night, spilled down her face. “Kill them all if you like. My people want the cup. Why do you think I’ve been hanging around here for all these years?”

Luke stood and suddenly the whole power dynamic changed. Alec had a keen eye, and he noted how suddenly it wasn’t two powerful people bullying a lowly detective, no, this was something different, like those people in the club. Luke charged on but Alec was halted only by a name. _Valentine._

That word changed the tone of the conversation. The woman got defensive, the man lashed out and Luke snapped, harder than Alec had ever seen him. Their shoes clacked on the floor as they exited and Alec waited with bated breath to see if they’d been spotted. Clary was sniffling and before he could move, she was darting away. He stood quietly, running after her.

She got out the doors just as he grabbed her arm. It was pouring outside and they were drenched in seconds but Alec was more worried about his sisters choked sobs. She was his rock and to see her so completely broken down was heartbreaking.

“We need to take a breath, relax, think about this,” Alec started but Clary interrupted.

“What is there to think about?” She screamed, pushing out of his hold and marching down the steps. He kept pace with her and that only seemed to fuel her anger. “Mom might be dead, Dot is god knows where, Luke is some kind of golddigger, and nothing makes sense, Alec!”

“One thing at a time,” He tried, running his fingers through her hair like when they were children. “Mom is strong, you really think she would let a few guys in Station Wagons take her down?” That earned him a laugh. “Second, Dot is the most resourceful person I know, if anyone can get through this it’s her. Thirly, why in god’s name would Luke hang around this long if only for this magic cup everyone seems to want. Luke is a good man and the closest thing we have to a father.”

“Than why did he say those things?” She cried, walking forward again and causing her brother to sigh. “About how he could care less about us, about mom?”

“Clary, those guys didn’t seem like a Girl Scout troop selling cookies, Captain Vargas said he was doing interviews, maybe those were criminals. I wouldn’t want potential killers knowing about my family!” She didn’t seem convinced but she stopped walking long enough to hide under an overhang to listen to what he had to say. “I’m not saying we should throw all of our trust into him, god knows I’ve seen enough crazy shit for the rest of my adult life, but I’m also saying that mom would know if she was being played. She has the best lie detector outside the CIA, Clary, and frankly, I’m surprised you doubt her.”

“Don’t start with me Alexander,” She huffed, tying her hair back and sighing a few times. “Fine but I want to go home.”

“Home? You mean the place mom said not to come back to?” Alec asked, groaning when she took off again, confident stride to her, with a determined set to her lips that could only have come from their mother. “Clary!”


	4. Alexander and the Traveling Leather Outfits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I was protecting you, it’s sort of our thing,” Jace smirked, sliding something across the screen.
> 
> “Oh great you guys have a thing now,” Simon sighed, rolling his eyes so exaggerated it almost made Alec proud. Clary name-dropped Shadowhunters and that almost made it worse. “Oh you have a name too, this just gets better and better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had this long thing typed for a while.
> 
> Anything you want to see done? Any ideas about how to tackle the memory deamon seeing as Alec don't give a shit? Questions, comment, and concerns?
> 
> Love you all, enjoy!

The rain was coming down harder when they reached the shop. Alec tugged back on Clary’s shirt when he noticed the door had been kicked in and the splintered wood of the frame swayed back and forth. His sister pulled forward, calling out for their mom but Alec pulled her back.

“Clary!” He was whispering, holding back the overwhelming feeling of fear, he had to be strong right now, his mom needed him. “Who ever did that to the store might still be in there, we need to call the cops.”

“So Luke can come and kill us?” She scoffed, more tears and more crying, and Alec just couldn’t handle this anymore. “I’m not going with him-”

“This is about more than you!” Alec mock whispered, his eyes starting to water and his hands starting to shake. “Mom could be dead in there and I don’t know what is going on but it is not natural and I need some help here Clary!”

They were both sobbing by the end, looking everywhere but at each other, seeing as that would only make them cry harder. Clary’s eyes stayed riveted on the pool of blood slowly being washed away by the rain. The morbid thought that might have been his mother’s blood made him jerk and refocused his thoughts.

“I’m going in, you stay here,” He muttered and sighed when she responded with a “Like hell I will.”

They moved past the debris and Clary’s breath got higher and more panicked but he ignored it because his was doing the same. It took a few minutes for them to steady out, their mission more important than their fear. Clary sighed and he looked back, glad to see the steely resolve harden her face. She picked her way across the shop, grabbing a few of the pocket knives from the display case on the far side of the room, tossing two to him and keeping two for herself. She flicked one open and nodded to him.

They strategically cleared each room, their adrenaline spiking the closer they got to the living room. Clary was steady at his back, her knuckles white around the hilt of the knife. They glanced down the hallway and just as Alec was about say they call the police, Clary jumped.

Alec raised his knife. He was not trained in it, but he figured he could buy Clary enough time to get out. Instead of some monster, Dot was standing, eerily still and half covered in moonlight. His sister was relieved and just as he was about to throw his knife to the ground, he caught Clary’s eye and saw the mistrust. Why would she not trust Dot?

Alec followed her lead, lowering his weapon but staying a few feet away. When Dot moved forward Clary and Alec took two steps back. She seemed oblivious to this, the wide-eyed Not-Dot.

“They took Jocelyn,” It muttered, cool and unemotional. Clary just let out a shaking breath and noded her head.

“Who?” Clary asked, her voice breaking on the word and sent her rocking slightly back and forth. 

“Rouge Shadowhunters looking for the Mortal Cup,” That again, that damn cup. Clary seemed to recognize the words too, because she moved closer to Alec so their arms were brushing. Not-Dot moved closer, sending Alec and Clary slowly moving backwards. “Think you two, did your mother ever talk to you about a cup? It’s very important! It’s gold, like a chalice!”

“Have you checked downstairs?” Clary asked, her face afraid but hard. Both of their breaths had become frantic but his sister powered on, her voice a controlled rage. “I can’t really think straight seeing as my mother has been kidnapped.”

As if strings had been cut, Not-Dot straightened and her face slipped back into the emotionless mask it was seconds after they first saw her.

“You know more than you think you do, Fray children,” It muttered, it’s face splitting open like those monsters at the club but Clary was ready for it, digging the butterfly knife into it’s stomach, it battered her away. Alec watched at it threw the weapon aside like it was nothing, advancing on him with frightening speed and latching onto his neck, it’s clawed fingers digging uncomfortably into his skin. He could feel the warm trails of blood down leak onto the collar of his shirt.

It screamed and dropped him, falling to the ground and twitching in pain before lashing out at something behind it. Clary was holding the paperweight in both hands, the tip glowing slightly, her hand pressed firmly against a cut on her clavicle. He glanced up, rubbing fingers down his bleeding neck, and watched as his sister swallowed and backed away slowly.

The creature screamed, an inhuman noise that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. It’s skin rippled like water, turning from brown to gray and scaled like a lizard. Like a macabre sideshow, they both could do nothing but watch as Dot shifted into a grotesque monster with long talons and sharp teeth.

They both were backed into a corner, holding their pathetic little wands in front of them like some kind of Harry Potter bullshit. Clary pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arm around his and Alec pushed her behind him. He could feel his heart pounding through his chest while he prayed that he could draw the creature away. If he dove now the creature would attack, it might give Clary enough time to run-

The monster burst into light just like at the club, it’s body turning to dust around a glowing sword held by that ugly ass boy from the club, but right now he might as well been the Lord himself the way Clary slid to the ground.

“What, no thank you for saving your life?” He joked but that cocky smile slid off his face when Alec flipped the butterfly knife open and held it to his throat. He could never do it but he guessed his fear might look a bit like anger and it sure seemed to convince the boy. “Fine, fine! Just be careful, that demon got a peice of both of you.”

“Demons,” Clary muttered almost hysterically, laughing darkly and laying her head down on her folded knees. “Of course there are demons, why wouldn’t there be demons…”

“What else could you think that disgusting thing was?” He asked, moving forward as if to look at Clary’s wound but rethought it as Alec gestured with the knife. Clary pulled herself together, stood and took a deep breath. Meeting Alec’s eye before glancing at the boy, he grunted and placed her head in her palm, rubbing calming circles into her forehead. Alec suddenly felt his eyes start to blur and his head to pound. “Ravener demons have nasty poison. You both need to come with me right now.”

“Why is the room swirling?” Clary asked and fainted. Alec moved forward right as the boy did but as if hit with a bullet, Alec felt the room tilt and his feet slip out from under him. The boy cursed and grabbed him, tucking Alec’s face into the curve of his neck. As the world went black, he whispered something though whether it was for him or Clary was unclear.

_“I got you.”_

Alec’s dream was strange everything had a purple tint to it, as if viewing from inside a kaleidoscope. His mother was suspended in the air, her face slack in sleep, but the man standing over her seemed to hold his focus. He was tall with a strange glint in his eye and when he spoke, it was with an almost fanatical tone.

He could feel the thickness at the base of his skull that normally indicated Clary was with him and while that was normally a comfort, he didn’t want her to have to see this. Alec tried to call out, to say something, but it was like swimming through darkness, he didn’t know which way was up.

Their mom started hissing in pain and they both watched in horror as burns raised on their mother’s neck. When she cried out, both Alec and Clary jolted into wakefulness. Clary smacked heads with a woman and while Clary scuttled back to press her side to his, the woman just straightened and watched them with a bright smile that looked a little to pointed to put him at ease.

Alec patted his pockets but the knives were removed. It was only from that did he notice he was in different clothes than the ones they had come in with. His virtue was obviously intact but Clary seemed about ready to jump out of her skin.

“I don’t know you,” She muttered swallowing and throwing suspicious looks around the room before locating the door and glancing his way.

“I’m Isabelle,” She muttered, leaning forward. Her inky black hair, very similar to his own besides his lightly dyed tips, spilled over her shoulder. “I’ve never seen Jace so interested in a mundane before. Or distracted. As you saw earlier, distractions are dangerous in our line of work.”

“We have no idea what you’re talking about,” Alec muttered, standing and finding his way to a corner of the room. He had seen enough spy movies and seen enough shit today, he was not taking any chances. Clary felt the same because she followed, tucking herself to his side. “We don’t even know Jace.”

“You really don’t know much, do you?” She smiled, as if talking to a toddler.

“Yeah, almost getting eaten, kidnapped, and drugged can do that to a person,” Alec snarked, but this only seemed to gear Isabelle up, and she smiled wider. “All we know is some psycho took our mother now some other psychos took us.”

“And by taken, I assume you mean ‘saved your life’?” She cooed again, tilting her head like she was watching something adorable.

“No we didn’t mean that so you people need to stop asking and assuming jack squat,” Clary snarled. “Where are we?”

“Someplace you shouldn’t be,” A man muttered, walking up the platform with a cocky smile. His brown hair curled uncontrollably around his face and under different circumstances, Alec might have found him attractive. “Ignore Isabelle, I’m George, George Lovelace.” He smiled charmingly. “But unfortunately, mundanes are not allowed anywhere on the grounds, Jace.”

“That’s what I’ve trying to tell you, these two are not mundane, my blade lit up when she used it,” Jace, the cocky blond ass from the club said, marching up the stairs in his ridiculous combat books. He bypassed Alec entirely, having only eyes for Clary. “Hello, I’m Jace, Jace Wayland.”

Alec glanced to the girl still lounging across the bed. “Is that how all of you people introduce yourselves?” He muttered. “Our names are-”

“Clary and Alec Fray, yeah we know your names,” Jace snapped.

“I find this a bit strange,” George huffed, picking at his nails and fingering the hilt at his hip.

“You find everything strange, George,” Jace said snidely, looking back to them. Alec shifted slightly so in front of his sister. “Sit down you’re making me edgy.”

“We’ll stand thanks,” Clary said crossing her hands across her chest. 

“We really should report this to the Clave-” George muttered, chewing on his nail. Jace just sighed and Isabelle groaned before standing and pushing the boy down the steps with the mission of going for a walk. Clary relaxed slightly, her fingers uncurling and her posture slouching a bit. Alec followed her lead.

“Your wound is healed,” Jace said pointing at the drooping neckline of Clary’s shirt. Alec took a few steps to a mirror and ran blunt nails down down his healed neck. He glanced over to check Clary and found the pair looking dreamily into each other's eyes.

“Do I need to find another room?” Alec asked and Clary coughed before breaking eye contact and taking a step back. “So what, we are just magically healed by stunningly pretty people living in a gothic cathedral?”

“No, don’t confuse us with warlocks,” Jace snorted, finally looking away from his sister to throw a smile his way. Now he could see Clary’s interest if he always looked happy. 

“A what-lock?” Clary snorted, pulling a sagging shirt up and crossing her arms back over her chest, throwing strange looks between Alec and Jace. Alec would need to get her alone and talk to her. They had rules for dating and snagging a potential was a big no-go.

“A warlock, like a Downworlder?” He said, glancing between them like they were the crazy ones. “Warlocks, vampires, seelies?”

“Now I know you are just making things up,” Alec scoffed, turning away to throw himself, quite spectacularly over the top, onto the recently vacated lounge chair. “Keep talking and Clary’s head might explode.”

“Jeez, ok, I can try to simplify it for you,” He sighed, throwing them a side eye when Clary perched on the arm of Alec’s chair. Alec wondered if she did it to be away from Jace or to draw his attention away from Alec. Knowing his sly sister, probably both. “All of the stories are true. We’re Shadowhunters. We protect the human world from the demon world. Those people you saw murdered at Pandemonium, were not people at all but shapeshifting demons.”

“Dear god Clary, you sure know how to pick them,” Alec muttered and she hit him. Alec looked to the boy. “I really thank you for magic potions and bedtime stories but we are very not interested in your supernatural fight club.”

“We need to find our mother,” Clary frowned. “That’s all that matters. So if you want to hide out in some hidden dojo, fine, but at least help us find her.”

“I’m the best chance you got,” Jace stated and Alec groaned, rolling his eyes so far back he was surprised his sister didn’t hit him again. When Clary spoke again, a single question of “Why help us?” he just smiled and leaned forward, placing his intertwined fingers between his knees.

A buzzing sound came from Clary’s pants off to the side of the bed and she dove for it, sighing her best friend’s name and answering. Jace picked up Clary’s sketchbook and started flipping through the pages while Clary paced around the room with no pants on. Alec smacked the sketchbook from his hands, sitting down next to Jace on the bed and scanning the drawings. Jace was glancing over by his shoulder. He reached over into Alec’s space to pause on a drawing of the monsters like the ones they saw at the club.

Clary raced over to the window and like puppies, both Alec and Jace followed. Jace scowled when he spotted Simon but Alec could see the relief on his sister’s face. She glanced over her shoulder asking for clothes and Jace directed her to a pile of skimpy black leather.

“If Simon didn’t think you had a meth problem before, he sure will when he sees you in those,” Alec muttered but Jace just smirked, pointing to another pile of black. A matching outfit for him it seemed. Jace was getting more ugly by the minute.

Alec and Clary went to opposite corners and pulled the loose clothing off and replaced it was supple leather. He wondered if he could keep the outfit after seeing as it made his ass look great. Clary on the other hand looked like she just stepped out of a leather club. He stopped when a flash of red skin caught his eye when she was adjusting her hair.

“What the hell,” Alec muttered, tracing the mark on his sister’s neck then noticing a matching mark on his. “The fuck is this?”

“I drew those,” Jace stated, his dopey little smile spreading across his face.

“Ok, ground rules, I may not know anything about you or your life but you don’t get to tattoo my neck,” She hissed, the venom in her voice burned and he was surprised to see Jace was still standing. “That’s just creepy.”

“It’s a rune, and it was the only thing separating you from death via demon venom,” Jace muttered, his tone darker than it was before, less flirty and more murder-y. “They are insanely powerful and good for shadowhunters. Lethal for humans. But you already knew that.”

He picked up her sketchbook. It was random doodles, a skull and little faces and the marks that they both liked to draw all over everything. Now that it was pointed out to him, they looked eerily similar to the marks on their necks and the ones covering Jace.

“Or you didn’t, neither of you,” He took a step back to look them both in the eye. “Nevermind we have to go deal with that friend of yours.”

Jace led them down stairs and around wacky corners covered in too much black. He was a fan of the color but the drapes and dark windows were pushing it. They made it to doors, acrylic and marked, they opened easy enough when Clary pushed. She was muttering to Jace about marks and how he was invisible. Seeing as that was the most believable part of tonight, Alec looked to Simon who was gaping at Clary’s dominatrix outfit and raising his eyebrows in concern at the fact that Jace wasn’t lying as to Simon, he looked invisible.

“What are you wearing?” Simon cried, his voice a little higher than normal, before tugging off his coat and throwing it over her shoulders. That earned him a small smile and a scoff from a nearly forgotten Shadowhunter. Alec considered it payback for the leather outfits and sass. “Let me take you two home.”

“We don’t really have one anymore, Simon,” Clary sighed. Alec was glancing around, Simon was always a little too puppy-ish for him, and that was the only reason he spotted the man, tall and plain with a glowing sword in his hand and a curl to his lips. Clary gasped when she caught his line of sight.

Jace was quick. He grabbed the man around the neck, his hands tugging at Jace’s leather jacket. He quipped off a one-liner just as Alec Pushed both Clary and Simon behind him. His sister was crying out but Alec was scanning for a weapon, something he could use against that man but he fell still when the fight ended abruptly.

The man was pressed close to Jace’s chest, almost like an embrace if it wasn’t for the tip of the blade protruding from his back. Clary curled close to Simon and Alec placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. If it got violent again, he would push her in the direction of Simon’s shitty van. His sister, obviously unaware of danger when it came to blonds in black, pushed forward away from them to point accusingly at the corpse.

“Is he dead?” She demanded, pointing her finger and stomping her heels almost like she was reprimanding a puppy. Simon looked confused behind her , throwing questioning glances his way until he just shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh shit!” Simon jumped away from the body and ran his hand through his hair then down his face. He sighed a few times and then blinked a few more before just nodding his head, as if accepting the weird shit he just saw was normal.

“Deglamorize before you give Simon a mental breakdown,” Alec muttered, placing himself between Clary and the boy who just killed a man. Jace almost looked insulted. He pulled up his shirt and yanked out his wand, waving it over the skin with a little wince. 

“Oh god Clary what’s going on? Is that your meth dealer because man this is so messed up,” Simon trailed off, Clary was trying to comfort him but Alec was more concerned with the dead man.

“I’ve seen this man before,” He muttered, throwing a look to Clary. He could remember faces but she was the one with places. She stopped, moving forward to take a closer look.

“He was at the police station,” She looked up sharply. “He was with the people that took my mother.”

“That mundane friend of yours led him right to you! He was here to capture or kill you!” Alec sighed and looked across the graveyard or anywhere but the dead body. Jace had a tendency to ignore anyone that wasn’t petite and a redhead.

“We have to call Luke!” Simon muttered, his hair wild from running his hands through it repeatedly.

“We don’t know if we can trust Luke!” Clary yelled. Jace reached forward and grabbed her arm, whispering shit about keeping her safe, but Clary was angry, so she smacked his arm away and spun around on her stripper heels to stand closer to Alec. “You don’t even know us so don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Then like is a twisted Jane Austen novel, Simon burst forward, talking about getting help and leaving the creepy graveyard while Jace was spewing shit about being “one of them” and keeping her safe. Clary took a deep breath before turning away from them. She reached out her hands and took his into her palms like them they were kids. She pressed into the groove of his thumb before glancing up.

“What do you think we should do?” She whispered. She never looked back at the two boys, only watching for Alec’s reaction. He nodded his head and as if she understood, nodded too. She dropped his hand and moved towards Simon. “We need his help, don’t give me those eyes, Simon. If even Alec is agreeing to help for Jace then you know it has to be for a good reason.”

“So we are just going to follow Mick Jagger into an abandoned church because Alec said so?” He questioned and Jace pun around on him, poking him in the chest and hissing something degrading and rude. Alec pushed between them.

“Don’t make an even bigger ass of yourself. You got your way, don’t throw a tantrum this close to the door,” He opened his mouth like he was going to spit out a snappy one-liner before Clary groaned and moved forward muttering about testosterone. 

As a group they re entered the church. Alec watched Simon’s face as he took in whatever it was he was seeing and from the look of disgust, it was not too pretty. Jace sighed as if it was some heavy burden before marking himself up.

“Oh god because this experience couldn’t get weirder,” Simon muttered, looking to Alec seeing as he was the only sensible one of them. Jace smacked their hands together and Simon just sighed seeing as he had been the fake boyfriend for Alec for years. “Man, you are so not my type-” The rune must have worked its magic because Simon shut-up for half a second before giggling. “Man this looks a little too war-base for my secret bunkers.”

“Come on,” Jace muttered, pushing forward and into the heart of the room. Various people were typing on screens and doing other techy stuff. Simon glanced around, bumbling and asking questions that Clary and Alec couldn’t answer and Jace ignored.

“Well if you don't answer I’ll just assume you all robbed a tech shop,” He cracked a smile and shot a look to Clary who was watching Jace watch a screen. He looked over his shoulder to Alec. He smiled a bit and felt a little fear lift when Simon’s grin grew. He wasn’t a monster. “So this cold-blooded killer is going to help us get your mom back?”

“He’s not a killer, he was protecting us,” Clary stated and she sounded a little too robotic for his tastes. Alec pushed off the pillar he was leaning against and brushed his arm against his sisters.

“Pretty sure that’s what Hitler told the Germans,” Alec scoffed and Simon smirked and gave him a little highfive that Alec didn't reciprocate.

“I was protecting you, it’s sort of our thing,” Jace smirked, sliding something across the screen.

“Oh great you guys have a thing now,” Simon sighed, rolling his eyes so exaggerated it almost made Alec proud. Clary name-dropped Shadowhunters and that almost made it worse. “Oh you have a name too, this just gets better and better. So what do you protect us from?”

“Demons,” Jace stated matter-of-factly. Simon’s face dropped into a scowl and Alec clamped a hand over Simon’s mouth before he blurted something ridiculous out. The boy from before, George, walked past, stopped and backtracking until pointing the finger at Simon.

“You are not a shadowhunter and/or demon,” He questioned, turning to Jace. “What is a mundane doing in the Institute?”

“Circle member attacked, lead here by Mundie over there,” Jace pointed to Simon and Alec wanted to snap his perfectly shaped brow. Simon muttered something under Alec’s palm but it was only after he licked him did Alec spaz away to rub his wet hand onto Jace’s leather jacket.

“As I was saying, what is the Circle and why do they want to kill people, particularly us?” Jace was still frowning at the invisible mark on his coat.

“The Circle led a revolt. A lot of shadowhunters lost their lives, including my father,” Now Alec felt like shit for scrubbing spit onto his shoulder. “Now we can’t even talk mention it, let alone learn about it.”

“It’s your history,” Clary said with that determined tone and her hands clenched into small fists. “That’s not fair.”

“Says the girl who didn’t even know she was a shadowhunter,” Jace scoffed. Alec glared in his direction. Well, now he didn’t feel guilty for the spit.


End file.
